Shallow 'Pond' Shallow 'Pond' (December 27, 2002)

TheatreWorks play all laughs and no bite

By Leonard Schwarz

The story of a never-easy man who, as he turns 80, learns to soften just a bit, "On Golden Pond" is a wise, warm-hearted comedy -- but a comedy with an edge.

As gracefully staged by TheatreWorks, however, the play is all laughs and no bite. While it is difficult to complain about a Christmas treat as entertaining as this production, it's a shame that TheatreWorks' "Pond" doesn't have a bit more depth.

At the center of the play is Norman Thayer, an increasingly eccentric octogenarian with a sharp tongue. At first, Norman's deprecating remarks seem harmless and very funny. But as "On Golden Pond" progresses, it becomes clear that Norman is more than a little mean-spirited, bigoted and self-centered. Indeed, by the end of the first act, it is clear that the remarks and idiosyncrasies that seemed so amusing at the outset of the play are rooted in Norman's hardened heart and selfish soul.

The one thing of consequence Norman can do with his remaining time is to allow others -- in particular, his semi-estranged daughter -- into his heart. But there can be nothing heroic about the old man's opening up if Norman is a lovable curmudgeon with a heart of gold to begin with.

I yield to no one in my respect for George Ward, the popular local actor who plays Norman. But this time Ward misses the mark. His Norman is too funny, too endearing and too easy to sympathize with. As Ward plays him, there is no edge to Norman's faults and no reason to doubt that Norman's heart is in the right place.

In the first act's most dramatic moment, Norman and his daughter Chelsea come face to face for the first time in eight years. The chill between them is palpable. But because Ward's Norman is so appealing, you find yourself wondering what's wrong with her , why doesn't she loosen up. At the very moment that the unhappiness for which Norman is responsible should be sinking in, you can't help but think to yourself, "What's her problem."

As Chelsea, Nancy Carlin appears to be cold and uncomfortable every moment she is on the stage. While this is exactly how Chelsea feels in the presence of her parents, Carlin gives an unmodulated, one-note performance that makes it all the more difficult to care about Chelsea.

The person we do care about is Ethel, Norman's devoted wife of 48 years. As intelligently played by Linda Hoy, Ethel is neither an Edith Bunker-style simpleton nor a prototypical wife-and-mother martyr. Instead, thanks to Hoy's ability to illustrate the simple virtues of pragmatism, loyalty and a sunny disposition, we can see that Ethel Thayer is a counterweight to Norman: a civil, decent human being who just happens to be his enabler.

Their relationship is perfectly at home in the lakefront cabin that designer Tom Langguth has created for the set, and Jules Aaron's crisp direction never allows the production to get mired in the sentimentality lurking just beneath the surface. On the contrary, Aaron, like Ward, is a bit too eager to play things for a laugh.

I know, I know. "On Golden Pond" is supposed to be a comedy. But it is a wry, bittersweet comedy, to be smiled at and amused by. The belly laughs the TheatreWorks' production encourages are out of step with the play's sensibilities. Imagine the wisecracks and smart dialogue on "The West Wing" being greeted by the laugh track from a sitcom, and you get a sense for how TheatreWorks has missed the mark -- and how their audiences have become their enabler.

“On Golden Pond,” presented by TheatreWorks

Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto

When: "On Golden Pond" runs through Jan. 5. Show times are Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. (no show Dec. 24 and 31); Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. (no show Dec. 25 or Jan. 1); 2 p.m. Saturday matinees on Dec. 14 and 21; 2 p.m. Sunday matinees (except Dec. 29); 7 p.m. Sunday performances on Dec. 15 and 29.

Cost: Tickets are $20-$43; discounts available for youth, students, seniors and members.

Info: Call (650) 903-6000 or visit www.theatreworks.org